After going for laughs in ‘Ted,' actor and producer Mark Wahlberg gets serious again with the political corruption thriller ‘Broken City.'

If you're a big fan of Mark Wahlberg's tough, intense movie characters in dramas like “Contraband,” “Shooter” and “The Italian Job,” and were taken aback by his shockingly successful leap into comedy last year with the $500 million box-office smash “Ted,” your worries are over.

There are no talking teddy bears in “Broken City,” a gritty political corruption thriller that opens today.

Directed by Allen Hughes in his first filmmaking foray without his twin brother, Albert, (together, they directed “Menace II Society” and “Dead Presidents”), “Broken City” stars Wahlberg as a former New York City cop who goes to war with the mayor (Russell Crowe).

Wahlberg's character, forced into private-investigation work after he had to give up his badge in the wake of a controversy, is hired by the mayor to follow his wife (Catherine Zeta-Jones), whom the mayor suspects of having an affair.

The 41-year-old Wahlberg, a former rapper (Marky Mark) and underwear model (Calvin Klein) who not only is an Oscar-nominated actor (“The Departed”) but has become one of the most successful producers in Hollywood (HBO's “Entourage” and “Boardwalk Empire” and the best-picture nominee “The Fighter,” as well as “Broken City”), explained in an interview why he was forced into becoming a producer, what it was like to work with the even more intense Crowe and how he fits show business into his full-time job as a husband and father of four.

More important, he answered the question on everyone's mind: Will there ever be an “Entourage” movie?

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER:
How surprised were you by the success of “Ted”?

MARK WAHLBERG: Very surprised, obviously. When I first heard the idea for the movie, I thought it was pretty ridiculous, and certainly not for me. But once I met with Seth (MacFarlane) and started feeling more comfortable with the material, I thought it might be one of those things that you do that you think is interesting, and then it turns out to be really interesting. But I never thought it would do the business it has.

Q. Was comedy something you've been attracted to since starring opposite Will Ferrell in “The Other Guys”?

A. We were thinking about comedy way before that. I had been wanting to do comedy for a long, long time. But it was a matter of finding the right thing and the right people. Will turned out to be the right person, and we jumped in. After that, I was looking for something to do solo, and “Ted” just happened.

Q. You usually play such an intense guy that I imagine it was fun to do something different like comedy.

A. I try to switch it up as much as possible, but those gems don't come along that often.

Q.
“Broken City” finds you back in familiar territory. How did this one come about?

A. Allen Hughes called me and asked if I had read it. I hadn't, so I got a hold of a copy of the script and I committed to it right away.

Q. Why?

A. I just loved the character. It was a throwback to those great movies I grew up watching.

Q.
Tell me how it was to work opposite Russell Crowe.

A. It was the best. He's a hard-working guy. He showed up prepared and on time. And he had really great ideas.

Q.
Does it up your game to play in scene after scene with an actor of that caliber?

A. For sure. Any time you play with someone strong like that, it's going to elevate your game.

Q. At this point in your career, with all your experience and two Oscar nominations on your résumé, is there still something you can learn from a guy like that?

A. We kind of do our own thing, but he's definitely a guy who raises the bar for every other actor in the scene.

Q. This is a film about political corruption. You're from Boston and I'm from New Jersey, so we're both pretty familiar with the concept. Was there something special about this script that separates it from the standard political corruption film?

A. Yeah, I'm pretty good at picking apart a movie I'm watching and figuring out where it's headed. But this script had me guessing all the way through, and that alone made me want to do it.

Q.
You're a producer on this film, which is not surprising since you've become one of the most successful producers in the business. Was there a defining moment at some point in your career when you realized you wanted that kind of control over your projects?

A. Very early on, I was not the type of actor who got all the best scripts sent to him, so I had to get aggressive by going out and finding my own material. The producing thing just developed out of that. We started in television, which became a real benefit later when we started to make movies. The film industry has been crying poverty, and it desperately needs the TV-producing mentality, which is making the best out of having less money and less time. You just have to figure out how to get the job done. That's why we were able to make “The Fighter” for $11 million instead of $70 million, and “Contraband” for $25 million as opposed to $50 million. We shot “Broken City” in just 40 days, and that never would have happened without the TV experience.

Q
. What is the secret to successful producing?

A. Having good people skills is important. Being able to put the right pieces in the puzzle to get the job done is important. And you also have to be able to inspire and encourage people to do good work.

Q.
Do you have any TV projects in the works beyond “Boardwalk Empire”?

A. Absolutely. We're about to shoot a pilot with Baltasar Kormakur, who directed “Contraband.” It's called “Missionary,” a Cold War spy film for HBO.

Q.
As an actor, you've got this tough action guy down pat. Where do you want to grow as an actor?

A. I just want to continue to grow as an actor and a producer.

Q.
So the acting is still important to you, even with all the success you've had as a producer?

A. Of course. Ultimately, I would like to own all the content we develop and produce.

Q. Any chance of an “Entourage” film?

A. Yes. In the very near future.

Q. Really? I was just kidding.

A. We hope to start shooting in May.

Q.
With the same cast?

A. Of course.

Q.
After a pretty wild childhood, you're now a happily married man and the father of four. How does family life affect your work life?

A. It affects everything. It affects what roles I accept. It affects how much time I'm willing to be away from my family. It affects where I'm willing to travel on location. All that stuff.

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